1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device having an illumination function and, more particularly, to a camera display device which continues the illumination function until the end of a camera operating mode.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional cameras routinely incorporate display devices which may be illuminated to convey information to a photographer. Prior display devices incorporating an illumination display function conventionally light up the illumination display when a lighting switch is depressed. To continue the operation of the illumination display, a timer is started in response to the operation of the lighting switch. The illumination is thereby continued until a predetermined period of time has elapsed.
If the above-mentioned prior display device is built into a camera, the illumination display is generally extinguished during a flash photography or when the camera is set for delayed operation through the use of a timer. Thus, during many camera operations, it is difficult to read out the necessary information due to the non-illumination of the display device as mentioned above. Prior attempts to address this problem have used a switch in order to maintain the illumination of the display device. By operating the switch before initiating flash photography, illumination of the display device is continued. However, this prior attempt to address the problem of continued display illumination creates another problem, namely a risk of exhausting the camera battery through the photographer forgetting to turn off the switch.